WRI's mission is to lead human society to live in a way that protects the Earth's environment and its ability to meet the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

WRI focuses on seven pressing global challenges that need to be addressed to reduce poverty, grow economies, and protect natural systems:

• Climate: protecting communities and natural ecosystems from the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions and creating opportunities for people by catalyzing a global transition to a low-carbon economy.
• Energy: strengthening clean and affordable energy systems around the world to ensure sustainable socio-economic development.
• Food: Ensuring that global food systems reduce their impact on the environment, generate economic opportunities, and sustainably feed 9.6 billion people by 2050.
• Forests: Reducing poverty, increasing food security, maintaining biodiversity, and mitigating climate change by reducing forest losses and restoring productivity on degraded and deforested land.
• Water: Ensuring a water-safe future by mapping, measuring, and mitigating global water risks.
• Sustainable cities: improving the quality of life in cities by developing and adapting urban and environmentally sustainable transport solutions that are environmentally, socially and economically.
• The ocean: WRI is charting the path to a new ocean economy that is conducive to jobs, economic growth, and human health - while protecting and restoring the ocean.